Viscoelastic and Mechanical Properties of Repair Epoxy Mortar from Modified Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Waste

Abstract

The idea of sustainable and circular utilization of difficult to decompose plastics is pursued to add value to other products. New epoxy mortars suitable for construction repair made from epoxy oligomer, amine and modified PET waste hardeners mixed with sand were prepared. Three types of carboxyl terminated PET (CTPET) were used as co-hardeners, along with an amine, to prepare new combination linkage epoxy mortars. Investigation of the viscoelastic properties revealed that the CTPETs influenced the storage modulus at glassy state and the rubbery plateau, indicative of interfacial adhesion between the epoxy matrix and sand aggregates. Additionally, the damping behavior and glassy temperature were increased with the addition of CTPET. Moreover, the combination linkage of ester groups from the CTPET likely contribute to the enhancement of compressive strength and flexural strength in the epoxy mortar. The results of absorption and flexural change after immersion in solution, as well as the interfacial flexural bonding strength with ordinary cement-based material were also investigated.